Game Preview: MIT vs. University of Massachusetts - Boston

MIT vs. University of Massachusetts - Boston
Tuesday, Clark Athletic Center, 7pm

Live Stats | Video

Probable Starters:

MIT (4-2)	Ht.	PPG	RPG		UMB (3-2)	Ht.	PPG	RPG
Matt Redfield	6'8"	13.0	9.8		Carl Joseph	6'5"	19.8	6.2
Andrew Acker	6'8"	10.7	9.0		Jerard Mayes	6'4"	12.2	5.6
Dennis Levene	6'8"	5.0	4.5		Gregory Young	6'3"	12.4	5.0
Justin Pedley	6'6"	14.3	1.2		Omar Benabicha	6'0"	8.0	4.0
Paul Dawson	5'10"	6.3	5.5 apg		Ryan Lapaglia	6'0"	4.0	1.2 apg

A Look at UMass-Boston:
The University of Massachusetts - Boston is currently 3-2 and members of the very tough Little East Conference. They are another extremely athletic and mobile team that will look to get out on the break. In transition they will be looking for their do-it-all go-to-guy Carl Joseph for the pull-up three. In the half-court, the Beacons utilize a 4-around-1 motion offense, looking for the drive and kick (the Beacons put up 17 three's per game). On the defensive end the Beacons make up for their size with defensive pressure and intensity.

MIT must take care of the ball against UMass-Boston's pressure, and look for the size advantage down low. The Engineers' big-men must continue attacking the hoop, and must find the open man on the perimeter once the inevitable double-teams come. Defensively the Engineers must be able to deny dribble penetration while preventing the Beacons from getting a hot hand from beyond the arc.

MIT Defense Shuts Down Rhode Island

The MIT Engineers held Rhode Island College, who was ranked #22 in the national preseason poll, to 26.9% shooting from the field and just 38 points yesterday afternoon in the 54-38 win at Rockwell Cage. MIT's defensive performance ranks as one of the top performances for the Engineers in the last decade (MIT held two teams to 38 points: John Abbott in 2009-2010 and Gordon in 2011-2012; and two teams to 34 points: Wheelock in 2012-2013 and Polytechnic in 2003-2004). The Engineers also out-rebounded the Anchormen 42-28.

MIT held RIC to just 14 second-half points (Pic: Robert Krawitz)

MIT had four players in double-figures. 6'8" Matt Redfield led the way with 14 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, while his 6'8" teammate Andrew Acker added 11 points and 12 rebounds on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. Justin Pedley added 11 points while Freshman Dakota Pierce went 2-of-3 from three for 10 points. Junior point guard Paul Dawson paced the Engineers with 6 assists on the afternoon.

6'6" Sophomore Russell Johnson nails the jumper (Pic: Robert Krawitz)

MIT moves to 4-2 on the season and travels to University of Massachusetts - Boston on Tuesday for the 7pm tip off.

Game Preview: MIT vs. Rhode Island College

MIT vs. Rhode Island College
Saturday, Rockwell Cage, 1pm

Live Stats | Video

Probable Starters:

MIT (3-2)	Ht.	PPG	RPG		RIC (3-2)	Ht.	PPG	RPG
Matt Redfield	6'8"	12.8	8.4		Mike Neal	6'6"	7.8	6.4
Andrew Acker	6'8"	10.6	8.4		Chris Burton	6'6"	12.8	6.8
Dennis Levene	6'8"	6.0	5.4		Tom Diciantis	6'5"	9.8	5.6
Justin Pedley	6'6"	15.0	1.0		Nyheem Sanders	6'1"	14.4	4.4
Paul Dawson	5'10"	7.2	5.4 apg		Austin Cilley	5'7"	10.4	3.0 apg

A Look at Rhode Island:
Rhode Island College boasted a 26-4 record last season, going 13-1 in the LEC on their way to a conference championship. They advanced to the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament, earning a #13 national ranking before the final polls. The Anchormen are on a two-game win streak this season with victories over Brandeis University and Bridgewater State.

Rhode Island College is an extremely athletic and disciplined team. They hold a +6 rebounding margin per game this season, and have doubled their opponents blocks thus far. Offensively they possess a number of weapons, being able to go inside with their 6'6" duo of Mike Neal and Chris Burton, as well as pose a threat from beyond the arc (their starters shoot 37% from three).

MIT needs to be able to guard the three-ball (unlike they did versus Tufts) on the defensive end this afternoon. Offensively, the Engineers' big-men must play aggressively, utilizing their size and skill sets.

Tufts' Bench Scorches Net for Win

Box Score

Tufts University downed MIT last night at Cousens Gymnasium 77-61 behind a 7-for-7 three-point barrage from Tuft's reserves off the bench. Tufts shot 56% from three overall offensively and on the defensive end had 8 blocks to keep MIT's big-men at bay.

MIT falls to 3-2 on the season (Pic: MITHoops.NET)

6'8" Junior co-captain Andrew Acker kept the Engineers in the game with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal on 9-of-16 shooting and 2-of-2 from three. 6'6" Justin Pedley went 4-of-9 from three for 14 points, and sophomore point guard Ryan Frankel added 10 points. Junior point guard Paul Dawson dished out 7 assists on the night.

The Engineers look to bounce back this Saturday versus Rhode Island College at home at 1pm.

Game Preview: MIT vs. Tufts University

MIT vs. Tufts University
Tuesday, Cousens Complex at Tufts, 7pm

Live Stats | Video

Probable Starters:

MIT (3-1)	Ht.	PPG	RPG		Tufts (4-1)	Ht.	PPG	RPG
Matt Redfield	6'8"	15.5	10.2		Hunter Sabety	6'8"	15.8	7.6
Andrew Acker	6'8"	7.5	8.0		Tommy Folliard	6'7"	14.4	4.2
Dennis Levene	6'8"	7.0	5.5		Stephen Haladyna	6'5"	12.2	3.6
Justin Pedley	6'6"	15.2	1.0		Oliver Cohen	6'2"	7.4	4.6 apg
Paul Dawson	5'10"	9.0	5.0 apg		Kwame Firemprong	6'0"	14.2	4.2 apg

A Look at Tufts:
Tufts University had a 17-9 overall record last season and went 7-3 in the NESCAC before losing to nationally-ranked #2 Amherst in the conference semi-finals. Tufts is currently off to a 4-1 start.

The Tufts Jumbos are averaging 90 points per game thus far this season, looking for early offense with a numbers advantage or a quick three. In the half-court they implement a 4-around-1 set, utilizing 6'8" Freshman big-man Hunter Sabety. They will work an inside-out game, and shoot very well from the outside (Tufts was the top three-point shooting team in the NESCAC last season and had the highest free-throw percentage).

MIT and Tufts present very similar lineups and are evenly matched in a number of positions. The Engineers will have to protect the paint down low while being able to get a high-hand out on the Jumbos' shooters. Tufts owns a +4 rebounding edge versus opponents, so MIT must use their size to counteract the Jumbos' ability to crash the glass.

Check out highlights from when the Engineers last met the Jumbos at Tufts (2011-2012):

Engineers Triumph Over Curry

Box Score

MIT got back to their winning ways this afternoon with a hard-fought 69-62 win over last year's CCC champions Curry College.

The Engineers, leading by as much as 17 points, allowed Curry to creep back into the game late in the second half. MIT was able to execute down the stretch, however, to earn their 3rd win of the season.

The Engineers held a 17-point lead with 17 minutes to go (Pic: MITHoops.NET)

6'8" Junior captain Matt Redfield dominated the game scoring 27 points with 13 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 assists, 2 dunks and a steal. 6'6" sharp-shooter Justin Pedley nailed 5 three-pointers en route to a 21-point performance.

On the defensive end, 6'6" sophomore Russell Johnson led the way with 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals while holding Curry's leading scorer to only three field goals. Junior Paul Dawson was the floor general both offensively and defensively for the Engineers, pitching in 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.

MIT travels down the road to Tufts University to face off with the Jumbos next Tuesday at 7pm.

Game Preview: MIT vs. Curry

MIT vs. Curry College
Saturday, Curry College, 1pm

Live Stats

Probable Starters:

MIT (2-1)	Ht.	PPG	RPG		Curry (0-2)	Ht.	PPG	RPG
Matt Redfield	6'8"	11.7	9.3		Matthew Russell	6'7"	1.0	4.5
Andrew Acker	6'8"	7.7	10.0		A.J. Stephens	6'5"	7.5	3.0
Dennis Levene	6'8"	8.7	6.7		Lambros Papalambros	6'4"	18.0	4.0
Justin Pedley	6'6"	13.3	1.0		Antonio Jones	6'2"	4.0	1.5
Paul Dawson	5'10"	10.0	5.7 apg		Carlos Ribeiro	5'11"	2.5	2.5 apg

A Look at Curry College:
Curry College posted a 21-8 overall record last season, going 15-3 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference on their way to a conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Colonels fell to Middlebury by just two points in the 1st Round of the Tournament, as Middlebury advanced to the Elite 8.  

Curry is another fast, athletic team who wants to get out on the break and get to the basket. The Colonels are only averaging 4.5 assists per game and their wings, especially Papalambros, are primarily looking for one-on-one drives. Curry will look to post up 6'5" big-man A.J. Stephens, although as of game-day he is no longer listed on the roster (look for 6'4" Kenneth Ramos, the long and bouncy Freshman standout who had four dunks versus Brandeis, to take Stephens' place).

Curry is a very similar team to Bridgewater State, so the Engineers must do exactly the things they didn't do on Thursday night:
1) Take care of the basketball - 26 turnovers won't win any basketball games
2) Posts be more aggressive inside - with the Engineer's size and skill advantages down low, MIT's big-men must want to score every time down the court
3) Knock down shots - there is no other way to put it; MIT must hit their outside looks

MIT Falls to Bridgewater State

Box Score

MIT shot just 35.7% from the field, 21.4% from three, and committed 26 turnovers, falling to Bridgewater State University tonight 61-49 in Rockwell Cage. 49 points is the lowest point total the Engineers have produced since their 68-44 loss to Rhode Island College last season. It is also the first home loss for the Engineers since WPI upset nationally-ranked #3 MIT in 2011-2012.

Bridgewater State, although undersized at each position, appeared to be the aggressors in the match, diving for loose balls and setting the tone on the offensive and defensive ends. The Bears shot 40% from three while holding the Engineers to only two field goals through 19 minutes of the second half.

Dennis Levene scored 12 points and hauled in 14 rebounds in the loss (Pic: Tom Gearty)

6'8" Junior captains Matt Redfield and Dennis Levene both registered double-doubles on the night for MIT, combining for 25 points and 26 rebounds between the two. No other players reached double-figures for the Engineers.

MIT will head back to the drawing board Friday during practice, then will face last year's Commonwealth Coast Conference champions Curry College on Saturday at Curry.

MIT Basketball Featured in Boston Magazine

Check out the article here: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2013/11/20/basketball-fans-cant-find-home-team-root-try-division-iii/

Game Preview: MIT vs. Bridgewater State

MIT vs. Bridgewater State University
Thursday, Rockwell Cage, 7pm

Live Stats | Video

Probable Starters:

MIT (2-0)	Ht.	PPG	RPG		BSU (0-2)	Ht.	PPG	RPG
Matt Redfield	6'8"	11.0	8.0		Michael Lofton	6'5"	17.0	7.5
Andrew Acker	6'8"	10.5	14.5		Kyle Gibson	6'4"	17.5	4.5
Dennis Levene	6'8"	7.0	3.0		Diijon Reid	6'2"	5.0	1.5
Justin Pedley	6'6"	16.0	1.0		Justin Clark	6'0"	5.5	2.5
Paul Dawson	5'10"	11.0	7.0 apg		Garey Allen	5'10"	7.5	3.5 apg

A Look at Bridgewater State:
Bridgewater State University brings back their top scorers from last year's team that finished in the middle of the pack of the MASCAC. The Bears were a dominant team from 2008-2011, with two MASCAC championships, three trips to the NCAA Tournament, and a Sweet 16 appearance.

Bridgewater is a fast, athletic team that will capitalize on their opponent's turnovers. They will get out on the break on offense and will look to get all the way to the rim. Their big men are highly skilled and highly active, looking to set ball picks and big-to-big screens in their 3-out-2-in motion offense. Defensively they implement an extremely aggressive half-court man-to-man defense. They apply pressure on the ball and look to deny entry to the wings and high posts.

The Engineers were able to take care of the ball consistently versus Gordon (only 10 turnovers), but will face much more pressure against Bridgewater. MIT must be prepared for double-teams on their post players down low, and be able to knock-down the outside shots.